Wedding Photographer Speaks Out Over Accusations That She ‘Constantly Cancels’
A wedding photographer has been subject to an investigation looking into claims that she constantly cancels on the bride and groom at the last minute.
Kelsey Livengood of Shirmbeck Photography even spoke to 6 News WOWT to defend herself after couples told the local Omaha television station how Livengood let them down just hours before the ceremony.
“It was a bride’s worst nightmare,” says Macy Blake, an annoyed bride who was let down by Shirmbeck Photography.
“Yeah, it was three hours before I walked down the aisle. I had no professional photographer, I had nothing to work with, I had no time to get anybody there.”
Livengood says that she was 30 minutes into her drive to the wedding when she had a seizure and pulled over at a gas station.
“I had a seizure and went straight to the emergency room,” says the photographer.
Another bride, Andrew Johnson, says that her aunt stepped in after Livengood no-showed.
“She messaged me three hours before my wedding that she was not coming because her son broke his arm and she was in the ER with him,” Johnson tells 6 News WOWT.
The photographer says it was her daughter who was injured and adds that she refunded $300 of the bride’s $500 in installments of $50 per week.
Another wedding photographer in Omaha, Nebraska, Christie Blankenship of CB Wedding Services, says that for the last two years, she has regularly received calls from “heartbroken brides” after Shirmbeck Photography let them down.
“[They call me] anywhere from the day of [the wedding] to eight days before…and they’re out of budget at that point,” Blankenship says.
Livengood denies this is true and says that in her 12-year photography career, she has had to cancel “maybe four weddings.”
‘A Pattern of Unanswered Complaints’
6 News WOWT also spoke with non-wedding Shirmbeck Photography customers who also had been let down. Lindsey Lundeed had a Halloween-themed family photo session booked for last year.
“She canceled when we were already ready to go and was trying to reschedule again, but the schedules weren’t going to work out for us,” Lundeen says.
Another family portrait client, Angela Bosak, says that she and her family “showed up at our location 15 minutes before it was to start and she messaged me back on her business page saying that she had to cancel due to her husband taking the car.”
A comment left on the Shirmbeck Photography Instagram page reads: “Do not go to this girl !!! She will cancel and scam you out of large amounts of money. She will then give you the runaround and never pay.”
The Better Business Bureau gives Shirmbeck Photography an “F” rating saying the business has a “pattern of unanswered complaints from consumers alleging that Schirmbeck Photography is failing to provide refunds for canceled services.
“Consumers state that the business has canceled their scheduled photo shoot, and when asked for a refund, the business provides various excuses as to why a refund cannot be provided at that time.”
‘I Do Have Good Reviews, People Just Aren’t Posting Them’
Despite this, Livengood says she operates a healthy photography business that gets 150 photo sessions during the holidays and 30 weddings per year.
“If I’m canceling a lot, I wouldn’t have the full business I have right now,” Livengood says. “I do have good reviews, people just aren’t posting them.”
She tells 6 News WOWT that if she does have to cancel she will refund customers.
“They just need to come to me and let me know and I’ll make it right, bottom line,” Livengood adds.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
